The present invention relates to a tank filler neck closure, and particularly to a seal for a tank filler neck closure. More particularly, the invention relates to a seal adapted to be mounted on a removable fuel cap used to close the open end of a filler neck or on a filler neck shuttle that is movable in a passageway formed in a capless vehicle refueling system to open and close a tank filler neck.
Elastomeric seals are used on fuel caps and in capless filler neck closures to block flow of fuel vapor and liquid fuel out of tank filler necks. Such seals are often positioned to engage an adjacent surface in a filler neck or filler neck component to establish a sealed closure. A seal configured to establish an enhanced sealed closure with an adjacent surface in a tank filler neck system would minimize unwanted filler neck leakage.
According to the present invention, a filler neck closure apparatus includes a fluid conduit formed to include a fluid-conducting passageway and first and second valve seats associated with the fluid-conducting passageway, a seal mount movable in the fluid-conducting passageway, and a seal coupled to the seal mount to move therewith in the fluid-conducting passageway to engage each of the first and second valve seats to establish a closed position blocking flow of fluid in the fluid-conducting passageway. The seal includes a body coupled to the seal mount and lower and upper shoulders coupled to the seal mount. The lower shoulder is arranged to engage the first valve seat upon movement of the seal to the closed position to establish a first sealed closure in the fluid-conducting passageway. The upper shoulder is arranged to engage the second valve seat upon movement of the seal to the closed position to establish a xe2x80x9credundant,xe2x80x9d second sealed closure in the fluid-conducting passageway in spaced-apart relation to the first sealed closure so that each of the first and second sealed closures is operable to block flow of fluid through the fluid-conducting passageway formed in the fluid conduit.
In preferred embodiments, the fluid conduit is a filler neck adapted to be coupled to a vehicle fuel tank and the seal mount is an internal tube called a filler neck shuttle that is movable to open and close the filler neck. The seal is coupled to one end of the filler neck shuttle and is arranged to engage the first valve seat provided on an interior wall of the filler neck and the second valve seat provided on a lug coupled to the interior wall of the filler neck to establish the first and second sealed closures in the fluid-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck.
The filler neck shuttle is formed to include a fill passageway that is configured to conduct fuel discharged by a fuel-dispensing nozzle toward a vehicle fuel tank when the filler neck is opened. The filler neck includes a conduit having an outer end formed to include a mouth, an inner end formed a conduit outlet, and a fluid-conducting passageway extending between the mouth and the conduit outlet and receiving the movable filler neck shuttle therein. The conduit outlet is adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank inlet via a fill tube or the like.
The lug is an annular member that is positioned in the conduit to divide the fluid-conducting passageway into an outer chamber communicating with the mouth and an inner chamber communicating with the conduit outlet and thus the fuel tank. The annular lug is formed to include a channel extending therethrough. The channel interconnects the outer and inner chambers in the conduit.
The filler neck shuttle is positioned for reciprocating movement in the fluid-conducting passageway and annular lug channel between a channel-opening position and a channel-closing position. The filler neck shuttle is formed to include a nozzle-receiving inlet configured to provide an opening into the fill passageway and positioned to face toward the mouth of the conduit and to receive the fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted therein during refueling. The shuttle is also formed to include a fuel-dispensing outlet for emptying liquid fuel discharged into the fill passageway by a nozzle from the fill passageway into the inner chamber upon movement of the shuttle to the channel-opening position. A spring is provided in the conduit to urge the shuttle toward its normal channel-closing position. The seal is coupled to the shuttle to surround the fuel-dispensing opening and to cause the lower shoulder of the seal to engage the first valve seat on the interior wall of the filler neck and to cause the upper shoulder of the seal to engage the second valve seat on the annular lug upon movement of the shuttle to the normal channel-closing position.
Preferably, in use, a fuel-dispensing nozzle is inserted by a user through the filler neck conduit and into the nozzle-receiving inlet and fill passageway provided in the movable filler neck shuttle. By manually pushing the nozzle further into the conduit and against the spring-loaded shuttle, the shuttle and its fill passageway can be moved through the partition channel formed in the partition unit to move the shuttle fuel-dispensing outlet into the inner chamber in the conduit so that liquid fuel discharged from the nozzle into the shuttle fill passageway can pass through the shuttle fuel-dispensing outlet into the inner chamber and onto the fuel tank.
In other preferred embodiments, the fluid conduit is an externally threaded closure member included in a removable fuel cap and sized to engage and close the open end of a fuel tank filler neck, the seal mount is a spring-loaded support plate, and the seal is either (1) a pressure-relief valve coupled to the seal mount to move therewith in the fluid-conducting passageway formed in the threaded closure member to engage the first and second valve seats provided on an annular lug coupled to an interior wall in the externally threaded closure member; or (2) a vacuum-relief valve coupled to the seal mount to move therewith to engage first and second valve seats provided on a spring-loaded vacuum-relief member sized to cooperate with the seal to close a vacuum-relief opening formed in the spring-loaded support plate.
In yet other preferred embodiments, the fluid conduit is a filler neck adapted to be coupled to a vehicle fuel tank and the seal mount is an external surface on an externally threaded closure member included in a removable fuel cap and sized to engage and close the open end of a fuel tank filler neck. The seal is coupled to the external surface on the threaded closure member and is arranged to engage the first valve seat provided on a radially inwardly facing interior wall of the filler neck near the inlet opening into the filler neck and the second valve seat provided on an axially outwardly facing outer wall of the filler neck at the inlet opening into the filler neck to establish the first and second sealed closures in the fluid-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.